Biography/Memoir

Springfield [Oregon] K9 finds $50K worth of fentanyl in children’s toy

As little as 10 milligrams is considered a lethal dose… Officers… seized a pound of powdered fentanyl before it could reach the streets, after finding it concealed in a children’s toy… [Image… molecular recognition of morphine and fentanyl by the human μ-opioid receptor.] Original Article (Koin):Springfield [Oregon] K9 finds $50K worth of fentanyl in children’s…

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Science

Fatal overdoses increase after police seize drugs, study finds

“The ubiquity of fentanyl in the drug supply affords people who use drugs almost no margin of error if they make a dosing mistake,” Brandon del Pozo, an assistant professor (research) at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School and School of Public Health said … …for decades, efforts by police to seize illicit drugs have…

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Science

The double face of fentanyl: the neuronal basis of opioid addiction

…fentanyl… triggers the activation of the dopamine neurons in the mesolimbic system (also known as the reward system), which includes the ventral tegmental area and the nucleus accubens. The neurons then release a large quantity of dopamine. Normally, dopamine neurons are under the control of inhibitory GABA cells. However, opioids block GABA neurons, which makes…

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Biography/Memoir

A federal task force is moving up the ranks of Portland’s fentanyl trafficking rings

…a new criminal complaint suggests the outlines of the case that federal authorities are building. That criminal complaint, filed Dec. 12, 2023, in U.S. District Court in Portland, reveals that law enforcement are investigating a trend of drug trafficking organizations using “Honduran nationals to distribute bulk amounts of fentanyl…in the western United States.” It names…

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Biography/Memoir

In 2023 fentanyl overdoses ravaged the U.S.

Federal researchers now say drug overdoses are a leading cause of death among young Americans age 18-45. In 2023 the overdose death rate topped 112,000 in a 12 month period for the first time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention… total annual spending on the drug war now tops $40 billion a…

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Biography/Memoir

Supreme Court… opioid settlement…

Members of the Sackler family have denied wrongdoing but expressed regret that OxyContin “unexpectedly became part of an opioid crisis.” … another sign read, “Deadliest white collar criminals – the Sackler cartel.” …the Sackler family members withdrew billions from Purdue before agreeing to contribute up to $6 billion to its opioid settlement. The deal conflicts…

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Politics

Oregon legislature… fentanyl… allowing more serious charges…

 The ingestion of just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can prove fatal to adults. …allows prosecutors to treat fentanyl like other hard drugs under Measure 110. The Oregon District Attorneys Association, Oregon Association Chiefs of Police and the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association supported the new legislation… HB 2645… creating a misdemeanor for having more than 1…

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Science

…fentanyl crisis…

…based on figures released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of 195 Americans died every single day in 2021 In Multnomah County, Oregon, fatal opioid-related overdoses saw a fivefold increase between 2018 and 2022, according to public health data. A record-high 209 people in the county died from fentanyl overdoses last year. Andrew Suchocki… medical director……

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